O'Toole, Kathleen: Alleged Violation of RCW 42.17A.555 for using public resources to assist a political campaign by wearing a Seattle law enforcement uniform to support a fundraising event. (June 2018)
Respondent name: Kathleen O'Toole
Complainant name: Glen Morgan
The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has completed its review of the complaint filed by Glen Morgan on June 22, 2018. The complaint alleged that Kathleen O’Toole, former City of Seattle Police Chief, may have violated RCW 42.17A.555 by using the public facilities of the City of Seattle, including her official police uniform as Chief of Police to support a statewide initiative in Washington State, Initiative 1639.
PDC staff reviewed the allegations listed in the complaint, the statutes, rules and PDC Interpretation #04-02 Guidelines for Local Government Agencies in Election Campaigns, and the July 23, 2018, response letter from Ms. O’Toole, and the August 20, 2018, email from Rebecca Boatright, Chief Legal Officer for the Seattle Police Department.
Based on these findings, staff has determined that in this instance, there is no evidence that Kathleen O’Toole used the facilities of the City of Seattle to support a ballot proposition or to fund raise for a ballot proposition. The PDC has closed the matter and will not be conducting a more formal investigation into your complaint or pursuing further enforcement action in this case.
Disposition: Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations (Resolved 08/30/2018)Date opened: 06/26/2018
Area of Law: RCW 42.17A 555